Kawhi Leonard Will Reportedly Miss The Relaxation Of The NBA Playoffs

The San Antonio Spurs have prided themselves on being one of the crucial low-maintenance franchises within the NBA for the previous twenty years. They’ve crammed their roster with humble superstars who’ve willingly sacrificed for the great of the workforce, and so they’ve constantly performed a mode of basketball that’s the dream archetype of hoops purists in every single place.

Which is why the continuing Kawhi Leonard scenario has been so baffling. He’s performed simply 9 video games all season, and there have been some discrepancies between the group and his camp about his skill to return to motion, in addition to a time line for his return.

Head coach Gregg Popovich has beforehand admitted that he doesn’t count on Leonard to return in any respect this season, and that worry was reportedly confirmed on Sunday.

By way of Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports activities:

Leonard has been rehabbing in New York as a result of that’s the place his medical workers is positioned, and he has not been cleared by his docs, league sources stated. Time has run brief for Leonard — one of many league’s finest gamers when wholesome — to make a smart return to the Spurs, who misplaced Sport 1 of their first-round sequence to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Leonard has made strides just lately in coaching and is concentrated on regaining his full well being, league sources informed Yahoo Sports activities.

The disconnect has, understandably, known as into query his future with the franchise, though Leonard, for his half, has insisted that he desires to complete his profession in San Antonio.

Among the perceived drama stems from his logistical absence from the workforce. Leonard has been in New York rehabbing with this medical workforce, and although sure media members have interpreted that as additional proof of a disconnect, Jabari Younger of MySanAntonio.com stories that call was made in collaboration with Leonard’s workforce and the Spurs’ medical workers.

Although nationwide stories recommend Leonard and his camp determined to go away the workforce, sources informed the Categorical-Information the Spurs additionally prompt Leonard stay in New York to rehab following his routine checkup from docs.

Leonard additionally continues to be monitored by two workforce officers whereas away in New York, and he’s offered the Spurs with fixed updates on his standing since being sidelined as soon as once more since Jan. 15 earlier than the Spurs performed the Atlanta Hawks.

Nonetheless, it’s not a great state of affairs by any stretch of the creativeness. The defending champion Warriors categorically dismantled an undermanned Spurs workforce in Sport 1 of their opening-round sequence on Saturday, and past that, questions on each Leonard’s relationship with the group, to not point out his long-term well being, will linger till he steps again onto the court docket someday sooner or later.